Sun Valley’s second oldest hotel, the Sun Valley Inn, has seen its share of history. It was inspired by the set of the movie “I met him in Paris,” which was filmed at the resort in 1937. Luckily, it’s had some updates since then, so the historic building has a modern, comfortable feel.www.sunvalley.com; 800-786-8259

Located right on Mainstreet in Frisco (just seven minutes down I-70 from Copper), this hotel has won Best Lodging in Summit County for the last seven years. An outdoor hot tub and pet-friendly policies make this a cozy and convenient hotel.(970)-668-5009 or HotelFrisco.com.

This was originally built as a stagecoach stop in 1885, so it still has an old-world feel. This bed and breakfast is cozy and convenient: it’s right on Main street and the Summit Stage, the free bus that takes you to Copper or Breckenridge, stops right outside. For more information, visit FriscoLodge.com.

This timeshare lodge is perfect for visitors that return to Breckenridge each year.

If you want a home-away-from-home, this timeshare lodge can be purchased from one to ten weeks per year, and is conveniently located next to the Independence SuperChair and the BreckConnect Gondola. Each timeshare owner can use the amenities regardless of whether they’re staying there or not: the pools, hot tubs, game room, soothe day spa, and movie theaters are all included. If you decide you’d like to take a year off from Breck, owners can travel to over 2,000 resorts around the world as part of the Interval International exchange network during their designated time.

The village at Squaw Valley has restaurants, shops, a spa, and a variety of suite-style accommodations.

This slope side, suite-style hotel has accommodations that range from single hotel rooms to three-bedroom condos. The Village has shops, restaurants, and a range of events and activities in both the summer and the winter. Stop into the Trilogy spa after a day on the slopes, and hit the Lava Lounge for a glass of wine and mini-treatments before heading back to your room. The resort also offers ski and stay packages each winter. Squaw Valley, California | 866.818.6963 | thevillageatsquaw.com

Manicured and easy-going. Family-friendly in creative ways. Brimming with dynamic, leading-edge terrain park innovation, yet very—and we do mean very—spiffed up. With the November ribbon-cutting of the mid-slope Ritz-Carlton Highlands (a 170-room grand hotel unparalleled in the mountains of the Far West), Northstar-at-Tahoe joins the ranks of elite, full-service destination resorts. And to think this former-cinder-cone-turned-tree-farm was once a Tahoe skier’s afterthought.

Cruise in sweet solitude through Lookout Mountain’s glades on a powder day. Pull your squirming toddler and gear from curbside to liftline in a free handcart supplied for this very purpose. Ski lap after high-speed lap on pine-flanked pitches covered in easy-carving corduroy. Hop a box and hit a few easy rails in the Burton Progression mini-park with your elementary schooler—or even sign on for a morning’s instruction at the innovative Burton Academy—and try not to find yourself feeling cool. After the lifts close, enjoy regional cheeses and fine California whites by the glass at Olivier Napa while your tweens skate on the adjacent free outdoor rink. Or gaze at alpenglow and treetops while melting into the waters of the Ritz-Carlton’s new 17,000-square-foot Highlands Spa.

Amidst all these pleasurable sensations, one thing will quickly become clear: Far from being a Tahoe afterthought, recent improvements at Northstar and its dynamic new Village have been meticulously planned. Best of all, Northstar’s thoughtful touches extend across a range of economic brackets. So whether your ideal ski day lunch is a brown-bag picnic on a bench with a view, heaping plates of crafted-from-scratch Mexican food on a sun deck with the masses or epicurean creations from acclaimed Bay Area chef Traci Des Jardins at the Ritz-Carlton’s new Manzanita, Northstar delivers. It may not have the stirring steeps of some of Tahoe’s other signature spots, but it now has nearly everything else.

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◗ MUST DO Check out the grand front entrance of the Ritz-Carlton and its multi-tiered lobby’s “big tree” design, with a grand staircase winding up a central “trunk,” canopied by faux branches and leaves of etched glass.

◗ MUST SKI Lookout Mountain’s Prosser, just after it has been groomed, for a near perfect taste of gravity and speed.

◗ APRÈS Cocktails and nibbles on the Ritz’s slopeside/poolside “beach” or in the lobby bar—both great for pampering and people-watching. Olivier Napa for great wines by the glass; The Chocolate Bar for cocoa-infused adult beverages and other treats.

◗ DININGOn mountain: The Summit Deck for rotisserie platters; the Lodge at Big Springs for Mexican food. At the Ritz: Manzanita for California French with a focus on regionally sourced ingredients (ask for the chef’s table). In the Village: Baxter’s for American comfort food with a touch of gourmet San Francisco flair; Mikuni for stylized sushi.

◗ LODGING The new Ritz-Carlton Highlands Lake Tahoe is California skiing’s plushest ski-in, ski-out full-service hotel; ritzcarlton.com/lake-tahoe. Village-at-Northstar condos are lift-adjacent, central to all the action and roomy, particularly at One Village Place and Great Bear; tahoemountainlodging.com. Northstar’s earlier era of homes and condos offer great value; northstarattahoe.com.

Taking lodging a step beyond ski in/ski out. One Village Place, in the Village at Northstar, has a gondola loading station right in the lobby. The sleekly modern hotel, which has one-, two-, and three-bedroom options is convenient, cozy and cool.

Just 100 yards from the Challenger lift, this suite-style hotel is the closest you'll get to ski-in ski-out lodging in Sun Valley.

The closest thing to ski-in ski-out lodging that Sun Valley offers, the Bald Mountain Lodge is a cozy 14-suite hotel located 100 yards from the Challenger lift. Each suite comes equipped with a full kitchen, and they range from studio to two-bedroom accommodations. In the morning, skiers converse with the on-site manager about that day’s conditions as they head down to the ground-floor ski lockers and strap on their equipment. If you’re looking for a place that treats you like family, look no further: most of the guests at the hotel return seasonally to visit.

If you don’t mind a daily commute (half-hour), the most intriguing nearby B&B choice has to be the Four Columns Inn in Newfane (near Brattleboro). It’s scenicly located in a grand country farm with carriage barn, with elegant rooms and a extraordinarily good restaurant. Fourcolumnsinn.com; 800-787-6633